The event continues its efforts in supporting locals through free race entries, grants and race weekend inclusivity features
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend will be hosting its 16th annual Race Weekend April 24 to April 26, and has announced updates on community engagement and giving initiatives as this year’s event approaches. Some of these initiatives include providing complimentary entries, giving free shoes to local youth through their non-profit Kids for CU Kids and building out additional inclusivity-focused Race Weekend features.
In an effort to expand access to the Race Weekend experience, Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, the largest regulated water utility in the state that provides high-quality and reliable water and wastewater services to approximately 1.4 million people, made a $5,000 donation to the Flow Forward Fund. This donation went towards providing complimentary entries to many individuals in the local community who may otherwise not be able to participate in the Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend. Recipients of these complementary entries include students at both Bottenfield Elementary and International Prep Academy, as well as all 16 Race Weekend Charity Running Partners.
“Illinois American Water is proud to support the creation of the Flow Forward Fund, which reflects our core values of breaking down barriers, uplifting others and creating opportunities for everyone to thrive,” said Lucas Esteppe, director of operations – Eastern Division, Illinois American Water. “By supporting individuals who wouldn’t otherwise be able to participate, we’re not just sponsoring race entries—we’re promoting the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and fostering camaraderie and community through the shared experience of the race.”
This past year, the Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend created and launched the non-profit, Kicks for CU Kids, built in partnership with local running store Body n’ Sole Sports. The organization aims to provide free running shoes and socks to youth in need who participate in the 5K or Busey Bank Illinois Youth Run, allowing them to reach their goals confidently during Race Weekend. In 2024, the organization received seven grant applications and provided running shoes and socks to over 70 students. This year, they have received 10 grant applications, and anticipate provisioning over 160 pairs of shoes to local youth. This year’s financial support for the program has come from Human Kinetics, Second Wind Running Club, Serra Champaign, as well as donations from race participants during the registration process. This list of 2025 grant recipients includes Bottenfield Elementary School, Robeson Elementary School, Cunningham Children’s Home, DREAAM, International Prep Academy and four Girls on the Run chapters at local schools.
“The Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend truly wouldn’t be what it is today without the incredible support from our local community,” said Jan Seeley, race director of Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend. “Our race team is so thankful for all they do for us, and we continue to do all we can to return the favor. These expanded programs will help us all grow together and create opportunities for everyone to succeed on and off the race course.”
As a part of the race’s continued efforts in creating an inclusive space for runners of all levels and abilities, they have added to the 2025 Race Weekend, the Welcome Wave, a dedicated heat within the Busey Illinois Youth Run, designed to be inclusive and disability-friendly. This wave is tailored for families and participants with disabilities. Participants in the Welcome Wave will enjoy a race experience with additional support from dedicated volunteers. Some features of the inaugural Welcome Wave include:
- The heat will be the first race run in the Busey Illinois Youth Run event, immediately following the national anthem, minimizing wait time and the total duration of participation.
- The heat will be run on the same course as the Busey Illinois Youth Run event, on the turf inside Memorial Stadium. Participants are welcome to run, walk, or roll the course in full or a shortened distance.
- Participants in this heat will be able to exit the stadium directly at the same level and still receive post-race food.
- Age restrictions do not apply to the Welcome Wave heat.
The Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend will continue to implement their additional inclusivity features that have been added over the years. One of these notable features includes Deaf athlete accessibility. In 2024, the event began working directly with Deaf athletes to ensure that needs were met for Deaf runners to experience Race Weekend to its full potential. Some of these elements include ASL interpreters, volunteer training of basic ASL signing and working with PACE, a local organization dedicated to ensuring the full participation of people with disabilities in all spheres of society. These Race Weekend additions are expected to remain a part of the annual event for years to come.
The Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend is one of the largest running events in the nation, with nearly 11,000 registrants in 2024. Since its inception, the Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend has donated $1.846 million to charities in the community and generated an estimated $5 million in economic impact annually.
For more information about Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend, visit
www.IllinoisMarathon.com and follow the event on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
ABOUT CHRISTIE CLINIC ILLINOIS RACE WEEKEND
The Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend is an annual running event that takes participants through the scenic streets of Champaign-Urbana & Savoy, Ill. It is one of the 100 largest races in the United States, drawing over 15,000 runners in past years. Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend is led by award-winning Race Director Jan Seeley. The event made a triumphant post-pandemic return and remains committed to fostering a happy, healthy community in central Illinois. The 2025 edition will take place on April 24-26, 2025, and will feature a 1-mile, 5K, 10K, half marathon, full marathon, 4-person relay, youth run and multi-event challenges. To learn more about the Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend, visit www.IllinoisMarathon.com.
ABOUT ILLINOIS AMERICAN WATER
Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, is the largest regulated water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and wastewater services to approximately 1.4 million people. American Water also operates a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville.